Page 35 of Marking Mia

Pain shoots up my arm as Jace carries me through the sliding doors of the emergency room.

My wrist throbs in time with my racing heartbeat, and I can barely focus on the bustling chaos around us. Patients are everywhere, the antiseptic smell burning my nostrils, and Jace’s solid chest presses against my side.

I wince as another bolt of pain makes me whimper.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Jace murmurs against my hair, tightening his arms around me. “We’ll get you fixed up.”

The emergency room is packed with people. There are crying children, elderly patients in wheelchairs, and tired-looking staff rushing back and forth.

My heart sinks.

We’ll be waiting for hours. Another wave of pain hits, and I bite my lip to keep from crying out.

Kane strides ahead of us toward the front desk, his broad shoulders pushing through the crowd. I watch through tear-blurred eyes as he leans over the counter, speaking in low tones to the harried nurse. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but the setof his shoulders and the authoritative tilt of his head command attention.

Money? Connections? Whatever it is, it works.

The nurse’s expression shifts from annoyed to attentive. She nods, picks up a phone, and within seconds, a different nurse hurries over.

“Follow me,” she says briskly. “We have a room ready.”

Just like that. No waiting. No paperwork first. Nothing.

“How did he do that?” I whisper to Jace as he carries me after Kane and Finn.

“Kane can be very persuasive,” Jace replies with a wink.

We follow the nurse down winding hallways, each step Jace takes sending fresh jolts of pain through my broken wrist. The world seems to pulse in and out of focus. Bright fluorescent lights, then darkness at the edges of my vision, then lights again.

I’m limp in Jace’s arms, unable to do anything but endure the pain.

“It hurts so fucking bad,” I moan, unable to keep it in any longer. My wrist feels like it’s on fire, swollen to twice its normal size. “I think it’s broken.”

“I know, baby,” Jace says, his voice soft with concern. He cradles me more securely. “That piece of shit really did a number on you. If we hadn’t shown up when we did…”

“Please don’t,” I whisper, not wanting to think about what might have happened if Kane, Finn, and Jace hadn’t intervened.Would Justin have left me out in the cold, alone and in pain?“I can’t handle thinking about that right now.”

“You’re right.” Jace presses his lips to my forehead, the gesture surprisingly intimate, and I blink in surprise. “Focus on us instead. We’re going to take care of you.”

“Why?” I blurt out before I can stop myself.

Jace’s eyes darken. “Because you’re...” He stops himself. “Because no one deserves what that asshole did to you.”

We reach a small exam room, and the nurse directs Jace to place me on the bed. The movement jostles my wrist, and I cry out, tears springing to my eyes.

“God, I’m sorry, Mia,” Jace says quickly, helping me settle against the raised back of the bed.

The nurse is all business, checking my vitals and examining my wrist with careful fingers. “The doctor will be in soon to take X-rays, but first, let’s get you some pain relief.”

She prepares an IV, and I turn away as she slides the needle into my arm. Another sharp pain, and I wince. She hangs a bag of clear fluid and injects something into the line.

“This will help with the pain,” she explains, patting my shoulder. “It works quickly.”

True to her word, within minutes, a warm, floating sensation begins to spread through my body. The pain in my wrist doesn’t disappear completely, but it recedes, becoming manageable.

“Better?” Finn asks quietly from where he stands against the wall, his first word since we arrived. His dark green eyes are fixed on me with unnerving intensity.

I nod slowly, not trusting my voice.

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